Introduction
We're all amazed that you, our visitors, continue to ask for
more motorcycle armor reviews.

This is wonderful news, because it demonstrates that
webBikeWorlders are focused on safety and performance, which pleases us to
no end.

So just for you, here's another interesting piece of armored
gear for your consideration.

We found this one while shopping for the gear in our recent reviews of
Velocity Gear
F9 and S1 motorcycle gloves. We couldn't resist Velocity Gear's
statement that this is
"The Lowest Priced Level 2 Armor In The World".

The Velocity Gear motorcycle armor includes a
motocross-style hard chest protector with hard armor on the elbows and
forearm, the shoulders and a back protector. The armor assembly is
worn as a shirt, but it has a few interesting
tweaks.

Velocity Gear also claims that "no other company can
outperfom [sic] our armor in legitimate CE certification tests".
There's a long discussion on their website that compares the Velocity Gear
CE compliance with other brands, but I'll leave it up to you to figure it
all out.

Velocity Armor
The armored shirt pictured here is simply called "Velocity
Armor". It's similar in style to the
Knox Cross Shirt we reviewed not
too long ago, which has padding in the front and armor on the elbows,
shoulders and back.

The biggest difference is that the Velocity Gear motorcycle
armor includes CE EN1621-2 (the back protector standard) Level 2 compliant
back armor. The shoulder and elbow armor on the shirt is CE EN1621-1 (the elbow,
shoulder and knee armor standard) Level 1 compliant.

The Velocity Gear motorcycle armor looks complicated when it
arrives, but it's easy to put on. A quality YKK zipper runs up the
front right-hand chest area. The shirt is worn like, well, a shirt,
and once the zipper is fastened, a wide belt secures the lower portion of
the armor around the rider's waist.

The armor is sewn to the shirt, which acts as a carrier (the
back armor is removable).
The shirt is a type of stretch Lycra, which is very comfortable and feels
somewhat like silk, but it isn't as breathable as the wide mesh used in the
Knox product.

Someone wrote us to ask if back protectors and other forms
of motorcycle armor are hot in the summer. The short answer is yes --
there's just no getting around it, the plastic or padding used in this type
of armor is hot, no matter how perforated it might be (and it usually
isn't). In weather like we've had around here recently, anything other
than the lightest mesh seems too hot for comfort.

The belt on the size XL (fits me perfectly even though I'm a
size L) Velocity Gear armor seems long enough to fit
about a 38-40" diameter waist. It secures with "hook and loop"
fastener. I don't really like wearing the wide belts commonly found in
back armor around my stomach, but there doesn't seem to be an alternative.
I guess it's just one more motivation to lose the beer gut!

The shoulders are attached to the front chest armor via
adjustable cinch straps, which I believe can help keep the armor correctly
located during a fall. The cinch straps were kind of fussy to adjust
on our example, but this only has to be done once to fit the shirt when it's
new. Only
the right-hand cinch strap must be disconnected using the quick disconnect
to put the shirt on or take it off.

All of the hard armor on the shirt has a soft padding backing, so it's
actually pretty comfortable -- in fact, I'd say that the Velocity Gear armor
shirt is about as comfortable as anyone can expect. I think the Lycra really
helps because it's silky smooth, which makes the shirt feel like it sort of
glides over the skin.

The elbow and forearm armor has adjustable elastic cinch
straps, one on each side, to keep it in place. I wish there was either
another cinch strap near the upper part of the forearm, because I think this
is an important area to keep secured so that the elbow armor stays in place.
But the armor is cupped and form-fitted so it shouldn't be a problem.

I'm guessing that the thin chest protector doesn't offer the same
protection as the back protector. But it
should dissipate some of the energy from rocks, if riding off-road, or
possibly during a fall.

The back armor is narrower than a dedicated back armor like
the BMW, Bohn, Knox or TPro back armor whose reviews are linked in the
right-hand column on this page.

Other than that, the Velocity Gear motorcycle armor shirt
seems to fit better underneath motorcycle jackets. My personal
preference is to wear a close-fitting armor shirt like this in place of the
looser fitting armor found in most motorcycle jackets.

A shirt like
this one and a pair of armored pants, like the
Bohn Cool Air Bodyguard
probably offers the same or better protection as the armor in any
combination of off-the-rack motorcycle jacket and pants you can find.

I wish Velocity Gear carried a matching pair of long armor
pants, because then I'd be all set!

Conclusion
At $169.00, the Velocity Armor shirt is a bargain, especially considering
the Level 2 compliant back protector. It's comfortable, although it
can get hot in warm weather, which is a problem with any armor. If you
must wear a jacket with poor quality armor, an armored shirt like this one
might offer better protection without compromising style.

Product
Comments: Fits better than other armor under most motorcycle
jackets.
Stretchy Lycra fabric is comfortable and does a good job of keeping the armor
in place so it can do its job. Sizes may run one size small; I
normally take a size large and the XL fits me perfectly. Sizes:
XS to XXXL, regular and long. Review Date:
July 2006